![Rev. Fr. Anthony Odiong, a US-based Nigerian Louisiana Catholic priest, was arrested in Florida on Tuesday for possessing child pornography, according to law authorities. The suspect is reportedly accused of many other cases of sexual assault. The Waco, Texas, Police Department announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday that officers detained Father Anthony Odiong in Ave Maria, Florida, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. Waco police announced in March that they had received "credible information" about a sexual assault allegedly committed by Odiong in Texas in 2012. “During the subsequent investigation, a case of possession of child pornography was uncovered,” the police said. The priest was apprehended in Florida by the Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force. The Waco Police Department said that he will be extradited to Texas. Odiong had previously served in the Archdiocese of New Orleans before being removed as priest in December of last year due to controversy over homilies in which he claimed, among other things, that the Catholic Church was being taken over by "the gays." At the time, the priest was also accused of abusive behaviour; a Louisiana lady claimed in U.S. bankruptcy court that Odiong had committed both financial and sexual abuse against her. Prior to joining the New Orleans Archdiocese, Odiong served in at least two Texas parishes. On Tuesday, Waco police stated that during their sexual assault investigation, "the presence of other survivors was revealed." “Multiple women have come forward to tell similar experiences as the sexual assault survivor who reported the initial allegation,” the police department said. “Survivors’ experiences ranged from sexual assault and indecent assault, more commonly recognised as groping, and financial abuse, with some survivors experiencing every element of Anthony Odiong’s manipulation.” The police said they “believe there may be more survivors, and we wish to speak with anyone who [has] had similar encounters” with the priest. The Archdiocese of New Orleans issued a brief news release on Tuesday noting Odiong's arrest in Florida. The archdiocese “encourages anyone with any information to contact law enforcement,” the release said.](https://chronicle.ng/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ezgif-6-4730550ede-300x200.jpg "Is Anthony Odiong still a priest after life in prison sentence over rape?")
Members of Itaapa, an Osun State community, organised a peaceful demonstration on Wednesday outside the State Headquarters of the Osun Amotekun Corps in Osogbo, condemning the indiscriminate arrest and detention of some of the town’s indigenes.
During the protest, which caused traffic gridlock on the ever-busy Osogbo/Kwara boundary motorway that runs in front of Amotekun headquarters in Osogbo, palpable anxiety hung in the air, with armed Amotekun agents stationed at the premises’ gate, keeping an eye on the demonstrators.
The demonstrators, led by Itaapa’s Odofin, Olusegun Owoeye, said that members of the community’s security volunteer team, as well as several chiefs, were arrested by Amotekun men based on false claims made against them by a Peoples Democratic Party leader.
Owoeye said, “We are here because of the bad attitude of Osun State Amotekun men that came to our community and started arresting our people and chiefs. They came to our community some days ago to pick up two of our security outfit men. They started arresting our chiefs and locked them up.
“Some people in the community gave Amotekun money so that they can assist them to make sure that they silence us in Itaapa. We are here for the release of our chiefs and security outfit men who were arrested.
“They should release them now. We are calling on the federal government and President Bola Tinubu to come to our aid. We are for peace. We need Tinubu to give us freedom from Amotekun in Osun.
“The police in Atakumosa East are aware of this gang up by the Amotekun people. The community is deserted. Nobody is staying there again. We have left the community. The students who are writing WAEC have run for their lives.”
However, when contacted for a reaction, Osun Amotekun State Commander Mr Isaac Omoyele insisted that those arrested were criminals.
According to him, one of those arrested had a pump-action rifle that he obtained in Ibadan, his base, and that the law will be implemented against criminals regardless of position.
“We arrested a suspect with a pump-action rifle. He claimed to be a member of the vigilante in the state. The people he mentioned during the investigation were also arrested and are being investigated.
“There is no need to drag politics into a pure criminal issue. We will conduct a thorough investigation into the matter and ensure that justice is dispensed in the case,” Omoyele said.
![Rev. Fr. Anthony Odiong, a US-based Nigerian Louisiana Catholic priest, was arrested in Florida on Tuesday for possessing child pornography, according to law authorities. The suspect is reportedly accused of many other cases of sexual assault. The Waco, Texas, Police Department announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday that officers detained Father Anthony Odiong in Ave Maria, Florida, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. Waco police announced in March that they had received "credible information" about a sexual assault allegedly committed by Odiong in Texas in 2012. “During the subsequent investigation, a case of possession of child pornography was uncovered,” the police said. The priest was apprehended in Florida by the Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force. The Waco Police Department said that he will be extradited to Texas. Odiong had previously served in the Archdiocese of New Orleans before being removed as priest in December of last year due to controversy over homilies in which he claimed, among other things, that the Catholic Church was being taken over by "the gays." At the time, the priest was also accused of abusive behaviour; a Louisiana lady claimed in U.S. bankruptcy court that Odiong had committed both financial and sexual abuse against her. Prior to joining the New Orleans Archdiocese, Odiong served in at least two Texas parishes. On Tuesday, Waco police stated that during their sexual assault investigation, "the presence of other survivors was revealed." “Multiple women have come forward to tell similar experiences as the sexual assault survivor who reported the initial allegation,” the police department said. “Survivors’ experiences ranged from sexual assault and indecent assault, more commonly recognised as groping, and financial abuse, with some survivors experiencing every element of Anthony Odiong’s manipulation.” The police said they “believe there may be more survivors, and we wish to speak with anyone who [has] had similar encounters” with the priest. The Archdiocese of New Orleans issued a brief news release on Tuesday noting Odiong's arrest in Florida. The archdiocese “encourages anyone with any information to contact law enforcement,” the release said.](https://chronicle.ng/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ezgif-6-4730550ede-450x300.jpg "Is Anthony Odiong still a priest after life in prison sentence over rape?")
